Career Self-Assessment and Decision Making
Launching a career in Nonprofit, Education, and Advocacy requires clarity about who you are and determining your needs for success. Discovering your interests, personality type, skills/talents, values, and identity through online assessments supports ensuring you are on the right path.
Part 1: Self-Assessment
- Identify your interests
- Explore your personality
- Determine your skills
- Validate your values
- Clarify your identity
Resource: Career Self-Assessment Guide
Part 2: Reflecting on your Results
To determine where you should focus on your career path, search for themes and keywords that show up across multiple assessment results. Consider your interests, characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses. Identify 2 – 3 career communities or career paths that align with each area of career readiness.
Resource: Emory CPD Career Communities
Part 3: Reflecting on your Experience (if applicable)
To determine and prioritize the next steps in your career path, further explore your must-haves /nice to haves in your career. What aspects of previous experience did you enjoy? What did you dislike? If you do not have experience, use Career Tools to gather career information including:
Must-Haves:
These are the non-negotiables you need in a job. Think of them as your dealbreakers in reverse.
- Compensation & Benefits: What’s the minimum salary you need? Are health insurance and paid time off essential? Consider living expenses in your desired location.
- Work-Life Balance: How many hours per week can you comfortably work? Are flexible schedules or remote work options important to you?
- Learning & Growth: Do you need opportunities to develop new skills through training or further education?
- Company Culture: What kind of environment do you thrive in? Collaborative or independent? Startup energy or established company structure?
Nice-to-Haves:
These are perks that would enhance your experience but aren’t essential.
- Company Mission: Does the company’s purpose align with your values?
- Perks & Benefits: Does the company offer unique benefits like gym memberships, wellness programs, or generous parental leave?
- Growth Potential: Does the job offer opportunities for advancement or leadership roles?
- Industry Outlook: Is the industry the job is in stable or growing?
Part 4: Confident Decision Making
Understanding your decision-making style will help you navigate the next steps in determining your path including choosing a major and/or other experiential learning experiences. Reflect on difficult decisions you have made in the past, and determine the items that have worked in the past:
- Talking with friends/family
- Talking with a professional career counselor
- Collecting a lot of information before deciding
- Following someone else’s advice
- Letting someone else make the decision
- Making the final decision yourself
- Writing down pros and cons
- Going with your gut to make a decision
Based on what you know about your decision-making style, define three steps that you can take in a specific amount of time to get closer to making a decision.